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CHAPTER IV.

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

Literacy-Conjugal_condition-Visits abroad-Age classification of immigrant employees-[Text Tables 570 to 576 and General Tables 317 to 321].

LITERACY.

The following table shows, by general nativity and race, the percentage of male iron and steel workers in the Middle West who are able to read, and the percentage who are able to read and write: TABLE 570.-Per cent of male employees who read and per cent who read and write, by general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

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From a study of 12,011 male employees, the preceding table shows that 88 per cent are able to read and 86.5 per cent both read and write, leaving 1.5 per cent who read but are unable to write. The native-born employees of foreign father show a larger proportion than is reported by the whites native-born of native father, who in turn show a higher percentage than native-born negroes able to read or to read and write, while the foreign-born iron

and steel workers have the smallest proportion with ability to read as well as both to read and write. Of the several races the Canadian other than French, Norwegian, Scotch, and Swedish each shows its entire number to have ability both to read and write. The proportions of the other races who were able to read ranges from 99.3 per cent, as shown by the English, to 70.8 per cent, as shown by the Croatians, while the same races exhibit the largest proportions of those who both read and write. With the exception of the English, Herzegovinian, Slovak, and Welsh, each race has a slightly smaller proportion who both read and write than read only. Those employees native-born of fathers born in Germany and Ireland have less than 1 per cent who neither read nor write, while those nativeborn of Russian father show 100 per cent able to read and 98.2 per cent able both to read and to write. All other native-born employees of foreign father show their entire number to have ability to read and write.

CONJUGAL CONDITION.

The table next presented shows, by general nativity and race, the percentage of male employees in the Middle West 20 years of age or over in each specified conjugal condition:

TABLE 571.—Per cent of male employees 20 years of age or over in each conjugal condition, by general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

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Of the 11,386 males, 20 years of age or over included in the preceding table, 64.7 per cent are reported as married; 33.5 per cent single, and 1.8 per cent widowed. The employees native-born of foreign father report a larger proportion single than do the foreign-born, who in turn show a larger proportion than either the native-born whites or negroes in this group. With the exception of the Greeks, Herzegovinians, North Italians, Lithuanians, and Servians each race has a larger proportion married than single. The Canadians other than French, Irish, Scotch, and Welsh are the only races showing as high as 5 per cent widowed. The native-born employees whose fathers were born in Russia or Sweden show a larger proportion single than married, while those whose fathers were born in each other specified country show a larger proportion married than single. Less than 5 per cent of a given nativity group are reported as widowed. The table next presented shows, by age groups and by general nativity and race, the percentage of male employees in each conjugal condition:

TABLE 572.-Per cent of male employees in each conjugal condition, by age groups and by general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 100 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

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724 52.1 47.4 0.6 654 10.4 87.3 2.3 225 5.3 86.7 8.0 1,603 28.569.2 2.3

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Croatian.

302 64.6 35. 4 .0

English.

52 57.7 42.3

.0

Finnish.

93 61.338.7

.0

German..

204 53.9 45.6 .5

Irish.

46 84.8 15.2

.0

Lithuanian..

88 81.8 18.2

.0

168 12.5 85.7 1.8
123 13.0 85.4 1.6
50 24.0 72.0 4.0
408 6.4 91.7 2.0
119 18.5 75.6 5.9
51 35. 360.8 3.9

355 2.5 91.8 5.6

Macedonian.

7935.4 64.6

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Polish

Russian.

Slovak.

Slovenian.

Swedish.

Welsh..

Grand total..

Total native-born of for

eign father.

Total native-born.

1,467 61.6 38. 3
124 65.3 34.7
128 52.3 47.7 .0
335 62.1 37.6 3
127 67.7 32.3 .0
20 70.0 30.0 .0
5,222 60.9 38.9

.1

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Total foreign-born.......

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.2 4,624 12. 485.9 1.7 1,540 4.0 88.5 7.5 11,386 33.5 64.7 1.8

a Not computed, owing to small number involved.

Comparing the different age groups in the foregoing table, it is seen from the total that the proportion who are single decreases and the proportion who are married increases, as does also the proportion who are widowed, according to increase in age. This comparison holds true as regards both the foreign-born employees and those native-born of foreign father; also as regards the white employees native-born of native father, with the exception that a slightly larger proportion of those who were from 30 to 44 years of age than of those who were 45 years of age or over are married. Of the several races, it is seen that with the exception of the Macedonians, over 50 per cent of those from 20 to 29 years of age are single. On the other hand, over 70 per cent of the employees, 30 to 44 years of age, of each race, except the Lithuanian, and over 80 per cent of those 45 years of age or over åre married.

The significant fact in connection with the married males of foreign birth, however, is that a large proportion had left their wives in their native lands. This situation is disclosed by the following table, which shows by race of husband the per cent of foreign-born husbands who report wife in the United States, and the per cent who report wife abroad:

TABLE 573.-Per cent of foreign-born husbands who report wife in the United States and per cent who report wife abroad, by race of husband.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

This table includes only races with 40 or more husbands reporting. The total, however, is for all foreignborn.]

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From the data presented in the above table, it appears that 77.4 per cent of the foreign-born husbands for whom information was secured have their wives in the United States. All of the English, Irish, and Welsh husbands, and over 95 per cent of the Swedish and Scotch husbands, report wives in this country. The proportion of husbands reporting wives in the United States is very much smaller for the Bulgarians and Macedonians than for the individuals of any

other race. It will be noted that in general the proportion of wives reported in the United States is much smaller among the husbands of the races of recent immigration from southern and eastern Europe than among the husbands of the races of old immigration.

The tendency on the part of the married male employees of foreign birth, who had come to this country without their wives, to send for them after designated periods of residence is exhibited in the following table, which shows, by race of husband and by years husband has been in the United States, the percentage of foreign-born husbands who report wife abroad:

TABLE 574.-Per cent of foreign-born husbands who report wife abroad, by race of husband and by years husband has been in the United States.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 100 or more husbands reporting.]

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From the data presented in the above table it is seen that the proportion of husbands in the United States under five years who report wives abroad is largest in the case of the Macedonians, Croatians, Slovaks, and Russians, in the order mentioned. The Magyars, Croatians, and Slovaks, in the order named, have the largest proportion of husbands in the United States from five to nine years, and the Croatians, Slovaks, and Magyars, in the order mentioned, the largest proportion of husbands in the United States ten years or over reporting wives abroad. It will be noted that in the case of every race there is a steady decrease in the proportion of husbands reporting wives abroad according to increase in length of residence of husbands in the United States.

VISITS ABROAD.

The fact that considerable proportions of the immigrant labor supply are single men or married men without their wives makes it possible for them not only to adopt a group method of living, but also to move readily from place to place. Moreover, there is a pronounced tendency among all races to visit their native lands, as is

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